Introduction to the Golden Chain
With Golden Chain, as a term, we refer to the esoteric concept of:
- Homer’s Golden Chain of being originates with the Greek writer Homer; and also Kirchweger who wrote the famous book with that title in the middle ages
- Goethe’s ‘golden vessels interchanging’, with a quote from his work Faust .. Goethe read Kirchweger's book, and this had a special impact on him
- and what Rudolf Steiner calls the ‘descending and ascending spiritual influences’
These three topic pages give a number of 'key' references that represent the entry point into this subject matter.
However the term or concept of a Golden Chain between heaven and Earth has been broadly used, and there are many more references.
The two pages Homer’s Golden Chain and Goethe’s ‘golden vessels interchanging’ are to be studied first in sequence as an introduction
The Golden Chain is an image that references the interplay of interactions between spiritual beings, that give rise to the cosmos and various nature’s kingdoms as we know them on Earth.
Imagine a chain from the higher worlds from where spiritual seeds ripple through .. through various stages of the spirit world and astral world, down to the physical, at each stage being ‘clothed’ with more complex principles that make up their being - give it consciousness, life, and form - and substance.
Linking it to the reference framework of the physical world as perceived with mundane waking consciousness, one can imagine these influences as raining down from the zodiac and being modulated by the planetary spheres, including Earth.
Not only do these spiritual influences generate or render the physical reality and all we know and see around us (see also Cosmic fractal), the interaction on Earth also gives rise to ascending spiritual influences – again linked to the various spiritual beings who live in, or make up and constitute, the physical reality.
Framework for study
Dimensions
To venture into an understanding of what lies hidden in the image of the Golden Chain, a language is needed. That language is the framework of spiritual science, consisting of a number of 'dimensions' that are closely related. Ultimately everything is explained by the work and development of spiritual beings, but therefore we need a good insight in how to distinguish and name them, the worlds or planes in which they operate. The best way to develop this language is to describe just that, by describing the kingdoms of nature around us as the physically visible emanation or appearance of the spiritual reality behind it.
To understand the Golden Chain, one is expected to have a foundational knowledge base required to build an understanding, and this requires at least the knowledge of the following ‘dimensions’.
- The Planes or worlds of consciousness
- The Spiritual hierarchies: the nine hierarchies from cherubim and seraphim down to the third hierarchy and archangels and angels, but also the elementary kingdoms and elementals
- The spectrum of elements and ethers (and the four elements)
- The spiritual scientific evolutionary framework, as described eg in Outline of Esoteric Science by Rudolf Steiner.
- a base understanding of the four kingdoms of nature:
- mineral kingdom
- plant kingdom
- animal kingdom
- Man - the human being or the human kingdom
The goal of our consideration is to realize and appreciate how these are interwoven, and feel – have a soul experience of - the mindblowing beauty underlying creation. The basis for this lies in an intellectual understanding, but this is not the goal or purpose, rather it is a required step for us in order to take our conscious experience a level up to imaginative insight and contemplation.
Using our mind to switch gears and rise above the constraints of descriptions
The study of this subject matter will require us to switch all the time between different formulations and terminology to ultimately approach and describe the same reality
- the zodiac and the planets
- the spiritual hierarchies
- the different planes or worlds
and this for the four kingdoms of nature: mineral, plant, animal and Man. We can map their structures to the planes, and then realize that all of it made up of spiritual beings. In that context then fit the many puzzle pieces and lecture extracts, to be put together to one comprehensive imaginative picture of understanding.
There is mapping between the three dimensions mentioned, and it is through studying in the three 'languages' that we will build our own inner mental image and understanding of the whole.
Furthermore, what we want to describe can then still be described in the language variants of theosophy, anthroposophy, or Christian esotericism. On this site we will focus on a single terminology for spiritual science. For example we will talk about Spirits of Form (SoF in short) and not switch between Exusiai, Powers, Authorities, Potentiates. The term Elohim (same as SoF) is relevant only in the context of the Bible as a reference.
The concepts and words used, are simply empty labels to denote realities of a nature quite different of everything we know from experience of our physical world with normal mundane consciousness. So we have to be quite aware of that when we start thinking about them as concepts, and just try to use the descriptions to build an imagination of the described reality in our mind.
Study process guidance
- As we venture to cover and sketch and paint ‘the whole of creation’ around us, we will need to tread with patience and persistence, discipline and stamina. We will – necessarily - need many different angles of perspective to show how the various dimensions above hang together. The bar is set high: it is a challenge to try and convey this in a didactic manner. Meaning: the journey will be demanding, as only with sufficiently deep grasp of the above listed dimensions, and especially their interrelations, can we truly ‘see’. The approach we propose is to sequentially approach our subject matter as follows:
1 - introduction of a simple framework that we will use as a logical mind map, it consists of:
- quick intro on the four above dimensions
- subtopic: four lawfulness – laws of nature
- a schematic in which we can graphically project the concepts we will consider
- sketching the flow downwards (re lecture in GA88-89-91?) .. start with the end in mind
2. - touring the stage and introducing main players
- we look around us: placing the kingdoms on the map to initialize our understanding (physical & consciousness, group souls)
- on earth: introducing elementals
- spiritual scientific study topic: appreciating The elementary kingdoms as a required cornerstone
- what happens in the higher regions of spirit world: looking up to get a glimpse
- later module: how this is linked to the Cosmic breath of Brahma (and below the hierarchies and their cosmic breathing), the three logoi, occult atom
3. - evolutionary perspective - in a second tour, going into more detail revisiting each .. now following the evolutionary sequence to view how the various kingdoms developed to their current form
- the appearance of current kingdoms through the planetary evolutionary cycles, with addition of principles
- how ‘offsprings’ appear, how elementals of nature appear as part of this process
- the appearance of the Spectrum of elements and ethers through this process
- the continuous dynamic of all spiritual entities involved
Furthermore, the study of Man - the human being required special attention: the charts with 3 subsystems and H3-2-1
Were do the 3 subsystems come from?
- buckets interchanging, up and down: the cosmic lamb lecture + angels in astral body, food
- follow up study – later modules
- the redeeming of kingdoms (see lectures – 1904?-09-05-GA090a also 111/117
- what’s next: after descent - the ascent process
